Those of us with clear vision will have to go on missing the time when Madonna could stimulate change in the wider musical landscape rather than resign herself to following already tiring trends, as Hard Candy is a well-intentioned failure»

While it’s unlikely to ever be held as closely to the hearts of long-term fans as their career high watermark LP The Ideal Crash, Vantage Point captures Belgian quintet dEUS at somewhere close to their best»

Given some of the exhibitionist flair for colourful songwriting on display here, it’s a pity Sam Sparro couldn’t have arrived at a slightly more imaginative title for this, his funk- and soul-infused debut album»